Episode 04
The secret to smart spending: strategic procurement
Episode summary
On this episode of Controllers Classified, Brex’s CAO Erik Zhou is joined by Angelina Hendraka, the CAO at Redis. The conversation begins with a recap of Angelina’s diverse experiences across financial services, biotech, and SaaS companies. Angelina notes that while KPIs shift based on business strategy & industry, the transition from one industry to another in her career has felt seamless given finance is the universal language of business. Erik and Angelina also discuss the transition from big 4 accounting firms to controllership, and the evolution of one’s approach with that transition (i.e. from being deep in technical accounting to thinking more broadly and operationally).
The conversation then turns to recapping a recent panel discussion that Angelina participated in related to women in the workplace and fostering inclusive work environments. She shares her perspective on what it means to be an inclusive leader, and what more leaders can be doing to ensure diverse representation in finance and accounting.
The dialogue pivots to some critical financial topics including how to make strategic and thoughtful spend decisions in the current cost containment environment, the role of a strategic procurement function in enabling smarter spend, and important financial processes for post-IPO success, including SOX readiness.
This episode closes with Angelina’s favorite expense reporting story. Hint: no one is above travel and expense policies!
Show notes
Transitioning from a Big 4 accounting firm to controllership [6:26]
Being an inclusive financial leader [9:35]
The importance of a strong procurement function [19:52]
Effective cost reduction and outsourcing strategies [22:02]
Post-IPO financial processes & considerations [28:11]
Guest bio
Angelina Hendraka, CAO, Redis
Angelina Hendraka is the Chief Accounting Officer at Redis. Prior to Redis, she was Chief Accounting Officer at PowerSchool where she managed corporate controllership, financial operations, corporate treasury operations, corporate tax, and their post-IPO first-year SOX readiness efforts. Angelina has worked across industries, with experience in biotech, financial services, and SaaS companies. She received a Bachelors of Engineering/Master of Commerce, Mechanical Engineering/Accounting from University of New South Wales in Sydney.
“You need to get the data right in order to get the numbers right in order for you to really understand how your business is going. And.. in order for you to be able to tell the story to the street, to investors, and analysts about your growth.”
See what Brex can do for you.
Learn how our spend platform can increase the strategic impact of your finance team and future-proof your company.